Interview with Agricultural Innovation Facilitators

Interview with GLINX Laurent, General Secretary of the National Platform for Innovation in the Agricultural Sector in Benin (PNISA-Bénin). GLINX Laurent participated previously at the first European multi stakeholder consultation of PAEPARD (7-8 March 2011), Florence, Italy. He participated at the Workshop for Agricultural Innovation Facilitators which was held in Entebbe (28/11-02/12/2012).

Transcript of the interview:

I'm currently secretary general of the platform for agricultural innovation in Benin. This platform wants to create trust between research, universities, the private sector, NGOs and Farmer Organisations to create innovation with multiple actors and perspectives. This involves the technical aspects with the institutional, organisational and political aspects. The workshop which just ended is important because I could update myself on the role of a facilitator. What are the required competencies to play an efficient role? An important aspectfor me is the self-reflection. This means: asking if we are in the right direction? Content-wise and process-wise: what worked and what could be improve? As General Secretary of the National Platform for Innovation in the Agricultural Sector in Benin I will be able to add value to all what I learned here for the benefit of multi stakeholders partnerships. As potential facilitator for the Concept Note on Soja for Benin, I will immediately be able to put my knowledge and acquired capacities into practice. Not only for this consortium but eventually also for other actors in Benin.

David Suale is Country Coordinator of the DFID-UK Research Into Use Sierra Leone Programme. He participated at the Workshop for Agricultural Innovation Facilitators which was held in Entebbe (28/11-02/12/2012). As Country Coordinator, he facilitated the establishment of a platform called Partnership in Agricultural Innovation for Development in Sierra Leone – a self-organizing network for planning, policy and practice. He participated in several partnership building or multi-stakeholder training courses including, design and management of interactive learning rural innovation; and facilitating pro-poor value chain development and actor empowerment facilitated by ICRA and KIT respectively.

Interview with Sylvie Mbog from ODECO, a non governmental organisation in Cameroon. Sylvie Mbog was nominated by PROPAC to be part a the training of Agricultural Innovation Facilitators.

Transcript of the interview:

My name is Sylvie Mbog. I'm coming from Cameroon. I work for an ong in Cameroon and I was nominated by PROPAC to participate in this AIF workshop in Uganda. During 5 days we have reviewed all the processed of PAEPARD which has allowed me to better understand PAEPARD and in particular the role of facilitators from farmer organisations: myself and 3 colleagues. At the end of this workshop I'm very satisfied because I know what I have to do, with whom I have to do it, how I have to do it and when I have to do it. I will have a technical meeting next Monday with the representatives of PROPAC to give a feedback of the workshop, to tell them what I expect from them, their responsibility in the process and what are my responsibilities and how we can join our effort to improve partnerships and have a significant role in PAEPARD